“to immediately initiate formal consultations under the Endangered Species Act with federal wildlife agencies regarding the impacts of pesticides known to be harmful to hundreds of federally threatened and endangered species.”

This letter is apparently related to recent NGO litigation against EPA involving the Agency’s Endangered Species Act consultations with NMFS and FWS during pesticide registrations under FIFRA. The letter states:

“A January 2011 lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network seeks to ensure that the EPA avoids authorizing pesticide uses that harm over 200 imperiled species. Rather than waiting for a court order, the EPA should comply with its statutory responsibility and revise its pesticide review program to incorporate input from federal wildlife agencies. Such a common sense, workable approach to protecting imperiled wildlife from pesticides is long overdue.”

EPA’s response to this letter, if there ever is one, is not yet available.

To read the NGO press release about the letter, and the letter itself click here.